Family photo 2013

Family photo 2013

Monday, December 10, 2012

Trim!

Finally, finally, I found the motivation to decorate for the upcoming holiday. I was worried it would never come, and that suddenly, on January 3rd the kids would wake up saying, "Mommy? Have we missed yanking you from your peaceful slumber at the crack of before God Himeself wakes up to tear into presents in a matter of nanoseconds that it took you 4 hours to carefully wrap and egg nog sprinkled with nutmeg for us (just a little rum for you, to calm the nerves) and burning through a tank of gas to drive around town oooing and ahhhing at the lights other people (thankfully!) had the wherewithal to festively display on their homes and in their yards while crying out 'we're booooored,' at which time you begin empty threaten us with 'you WILL have fun, or ELSE' and giving the big jolly guy with a belly like a bowl full of jelly credit for the remarkably fun yet reasonable gifts you and dad worked so thoughtfully to purchase for the 7 of us without incurring any credit card debt whatsoever which is a monumental task in and of itself worthy of great acclaim? Have we missed every single bit of it?!"

It was just so warm outside. Like, 70 degrees. Seriously. I have been line drying. And walking my dog with no jacket. In December. In Colorado. Hello, polar ice cap melting global warming. It was hard to get into the Christmas spirit with such warm sunshine surrounding us. I don't know how you Californians and Arizonans and Floridans do it. Santa must wear flip flops and Bermuda shorts in your  neighborhoods while sucking down frozen margaritas and watermelon wedges rather than cookies and milk.

But yesterday, like a Christmas gift to me just so I could at once please my children by hauling out all manner of red and green happiness inducing trinket which must soon be socked away again and returned to its home away from home (the garage) causing all that effort to scarcely feel worth it at this point, it turned cold. Very cold. Burn the stove all day long cold. Make hot donuts for breakfast and hot soup for supper cold. So, we decorated. Fear not, the wee ones' childhood is spared.

We don't have the most gorgeously displayed tree full of matching items and thick ribbon. Our ornaments are each special to us, given to us by nana or made and kept through the years. Every child has their own box. Crafts from Christmases past, homemade ornaments with pictures of the kids from year to year, construction paper trees and Santas and snowmen. I nearly cry each time we pull out the boxes, remembering time gone by.

Such uncontainable, fleeting, extraordinary preciousness is found in this most ordinary life we lead. It's especially clear at times like this, Christmastime.When we wake up early. And tear into gifts. And drink egg nog. And look at lights. And joke that Santa did all the work, although we all know better. When we reflect on the tremendous gift of Jesus' birth. When we witness joy and togetherness and make memories that we will recall with tender fondness, seasons that will all too soon pass away...leaving us wishing we could hold them again....if only for a moment....




He looks handsome when giving me the stink eye, yes? ↓







The traditional shirtless-if-you-so-choose
Christmas music dance party that accompanies the end of tree triming festivities.
What do you mean?
Doesn't everyone have one? ☺

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